Our selected top 3 female role models
In light of Women’s History Month, which we celebrated in March, we aim to continue recognising female role models for their contributions and achievements in the corporate sphere and our society. Therefore we selected our top 3 women who we believe are among the most inspirational female role models.
Malala Yousafzai
It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone why we selected Malala Yousafzai as one of the most inspirational female role models. Not only is Malala the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, her journey as a women’s rights activist began when she was only 11 years old. Malala started blogging anonymously to expose life under Taliban rule in Pakistan, where women were denied education. Malala has become an international symbol of the fight for girls’ education, co-founding a non-profit organisation and publishing an international bestseller as a co-author on the way. Malala has become a female role model for everyone aspiring to focus their career on activism, and advocacy and to work in NGOs.
Sheryl Sanberg
Sheryl Sandberg is considered to be one of the most influential and biggest names in the technology industry. In 2012, Sanberg became the first woman to be on Facebook’s board of directors. During her years at Harvard, Sheryl founded a group aimed to encourage women to take up positions in economics and governance. The technology industry was and continues to be largely dominated by men with obstacles such as gender politics, the glass ceiling, and even motherhood, inhibiting women across all industries. This is why, Sanberg is a great female role model for all women who aspire to pursue their careers in technology and any stereotypically male-dominated industry. Moreover, in 2014, Sandberg, along with distinguished women such as Beyonce, Condoleezza Rice, and Jane Lynch, launched a campaign “Ban Bossy” that aimed to remove negative connotations from terms such as “bossy” which were often targeted at women in power. Sheryl Sanberg continues to inspire women across the globe through her achievements and activism work.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams is one of the most successful tennis players in the world. Not only did Serena win 39 grand slam titles, 13 with her sister Venus, but she was also ranked the number 1 female tennis player in the world 6 times by the Women’s Tennis Association. However, her achievements extend beyond the sports industry. Serena Willams among others is an advocate for female representation in sports, as well as the founder of SW Foundation charity, which has helped fund schools in Kenya, donated money to fight AIDS in Africa, given scholarships to underprivileged kids, and is raising awareness of breast cancer. Serena Williams as a female role model continues to inspire women across the world with her passion for health, fitness, and women’s equality. As a female role model, Serena is continuously raising awareness of the challenges and struggles of being both a mother and a successful woman.
Female role models inspire us to think bigger
The leaders, advocates, and activists described above demonstrate the possibility and capability of humans to drive change in our society. Not only are they all incredibly talented and successful women, but they also leverage their position to create opportunities for other women. However, it is important to note that not all women aspire to be CEO or enter politics. This is why it is so important to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of females from various industries.
2022 was a record-breaking year for women in the corporate world. As of March, there were 74 female CEOs employed at America's 500 highest-grossing companies, up from 41 in June of 2021 and just 7 in 2002. However, this translates to around 15 % of female representation in the top of the country’s biggest public businesses. Even though we have managed to change women's position in society substantially over the past few years, we still have a long way to go. Leaders from across various industries have the power to influence how the future of gender equality will look like. If you aspire to reshape your company work environment to create an inclusive and diverse workplace, get in touch with us for more information.
